Imagine my Astonishment
by openwindows
Summary: I never loved a man, until I met Albus Severus Potter, and realised I could not possibly not love him.


"_Or so thought Marjorie_

_Who had always wanted to marry_

_A man she could look up to_

_But wondered where that_

_would place __**her**_

_If she did._

_Imagine her astonishment_

_When she met Michael and found_

_That together they stood_

_Physics on its head._

_She looked up to him_

_And he looked up to her."_

_~ extract from poem "Position" by Carol Lynn Pearson_

I remember the day I spoke to Albus Severus Potter for the first time, with amazing clarity. I don't know how anyone could speak to Albus Severus Potter and not be left standing in awe. Albus Severus Potter in a matter of seconds ruined my entire perception of the male species.

My view on men had always been:

_Men are unobservant and careless. Men are careless and dare not talk talk about anything but quidditch, cars and their own amazingness. Men don't like girls with brains. Men adore girls who laugh at their jokes (no matter how rude, inane or stupid), and can converse with skill about mundane topics. Men don't like girls who tell them that their wrong. Men are sexist pigs, good to look at, but usually, sadly, only good as friends once they discover you have a brain._

And it had always rung true to me. Because men were intimidated by my education. Men were always on the defensive when I expressed my opinion. Men treated me as a man because I had worked hard to become the Head of the Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures. I spent years thinking '_to snag an intelligent gorgeous guy, I need to be an intelligent gorgeous girl_'. And then I realised that even the intelligent gorgeous guys had the audacity to be intimidated by intelligent girls.

That was until I met Albus Severus Potter, the man who treated me as an equal and in doing so both reduced me to a shy schoolgirl, and lifted me to an elegant sophisticated woman.

I was working on the matter of werewolves when Albus Severus Potter spoke to me. He was a recently qualified Potions Master (intelligence = 5 brownie points) and had as part of his final projects done research into wolfsbane potions (+2 brownie point for cool research) specifically into researching ingredients which would remove more of the werewolf symptoms, such as the exhaustion that accompanied transformation, both prior to the full moon, and after (+3 brownie points for _useful _research).

He approached me with an interest in making wolfsbane more widely available to werewolves, and petitioning for ministry funding which would be able to fund wolfsbane potions for all werewolves (+10 points for compassion and caring). He himself would provide the wolfsbane potion if we funded his research (+5 brownie points for thinking things through).

He presented his idea to me, Kingsley, the Minister of Magic, and our werewolf liaison, Quentin Loki. And the amazing thing? He didn't just present it to the two men in the room. He spoke to _me_. I can't tell you how many times people assume I'm just a secretary (probably adds to the image that I always talk copious notes). But Albus Severus Potter, he spoke to me (+8 brownie points. It was a good presentation as well.).

He asked at the end of his presentation if there were any questions, and when I asked how he planned to introduce his research into the current werewolf support programs, he didn't go defensive or wishy-washy. He answered my question genuinely, as if I were an equal and deserved to have an answer (+6 brownie points).

We spoke afterwards, casually and comfortably, about politics, about Hogwarts, about werewolf rights, and the best part? He didn't look at my breasts a single time (+4 brownie points). It is terribly sad when you are merely grateful that you are not talking with a perv. And when I had to leave for a meeting, do you know what he said? It wasn't some lame, 'nice to meet you Louise' or 'so, would you like to go out for dinner some time?' (why is it that so many guys assume that because I am a single girl, I by default must be taken on a date?).

Albus Severus Potter said, 'I'm interested in your opinions on the werewolf legislation of 1984, some of the concepts you mentioned from them sound interesting, do you mind if I take a look at them and drop by your office some time to discuss them?' It sounds ridiculous, but I suddenly felt valued as an intelligent woman.

Albus Severus Potter did not make me feel less, or lacking compared to other girls, just because I had a brain (+10 brownie points). 53 brownie points earned in just our first meeting. Most guys in the ministry only struggle past twenty (there is also a minus point system by the way).

Of course at this point I only liked Albus Severus Potter. He started working for me as our potions researcher with a specific focus on werewolf support. It was all the little things he said and did that made me fall in love with him.

"You were in Hufflepuff, weren't you?" Albus asked one lunch-break.

"Yes." I replied, already on the defensive.

I've heard what they say. That Hufflepuff girls are the ones that are easy to get into bed, because all Hufflepuff's want to do is _please_.

"My aunt Nymphadora was in Hufflepuff. She married a werewolf. They were both in the Order of the Phoenix. I've never met her, but you remind me slightly of the stories they tell about them." Albus answered with a smile.

How could this man make me feel all of a sudden brave and strong, yet shy and blushing, with just a couple of words?

"I noticed you don't drink coffee, I thought I'd bring you some hot chocolate. I know it's late, but would you mind coming down to look at the potion I have going at the moment? It's being endlessly frustrating, I sort of need a sounding board." Albus said with a bashful grin as he poked his head into my office one afternoon, holding the promised cup of hot chocolate as a peace offering.

How could he make me feel cared for but not coddled, respected and needed in the same brief moment?

"So, my gran is holding a Valentine's party, and of course we're all expected to turn up with significant others. I considered turning up with a guy, just for laughs (uncle Percy would freak) but I thought I'd ask you first if you were doing anything, because then I'd have at least one intelligent person to talk to." Albus asked on Valentine's day.

"Are you going to introduce me as your significant other?" I asked with a frown, frantically flipping through a file to find the papers I needed.

Albus grinned.

"I'm going to introduce you as my boss at work, and than I figured they could all make their own assumptions if that's all right with you."

I grinned. It was Valentines day. I had no other plans other than pigging out on Ben&Jerry's while reading a book this evening. Might as well pig out at the Weasley's and have fun with a friend.

"Sure thing Albus."

Somehow he had made it sound like he wanted to invite me, not because I was a girl, or because I was pretty, or because he though I would fit in with his family. He had said it in a way so I felt he wanted me there because he thought I was _fun_. How long ago had it been since a guy thought I was _fun_ to spend time with?

It was the first Valentine's day in my life that I actually did something Valentine's themed. Well, I usually bought the Valentine's doughnuts from Crispy Cream's, just because they always looked so amazing, and I _loved_ strawberry. But I don't really count that. So though I hadn't really thought about it before, on Valentine's day itself I freaked about what I was going to wear.

Was this formal or casual? Skirt or jeans? Oh dear, jeans were rather muggle, would they notice that? Would that be a problem. Why had I not asked Albus these things in advance? In the end I opted for posh casual or whatever you want to call it. Dress, leggings and boots. Minimal make-up. I couldn't look like I was trying too hard after all.

I actually let out a little shriek when the doorbell rang. It was months since I'd last been on a date. Though of course this wasn't a date. Not really. Not at all actually. At least, that's what I kept telling myself as I opened the door of my flat, smiled and let Albus in.

We aparated from my living room to The Burrow, his grandparents home, and we were immediately swamped by red-heads, with the occasional blonde and black.

"Hi everyone, this is Louise. She's the Head of the Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures, and my manager." Albus announced.

He said it, with a sense of pride, not the kind of pride for himself that oozed _'look-guys-i-snagged-a-goodlooking-girl-with-a-fancy-job-title'_ but the kind of pride that cried out _'isn't-she-brilliant?_' I felt like a little pile of delighted goo, putty in Albus' hands in that moment. If I was the type of girl to blush, I would have. Tomato-red. Luckily I'm not, so I didn't resemble a tomato when I shook hands with Harry Potter, but seemed (_I hope_) collected and confident.

It sounds stupid, but I think that was the moment I realised I loved Albus Severus Potter. Not because of his family, or because of his job, or because he was attractive (which he is, by the way), or even because he was intelligent (and I would never settle for someone less intelligent than me) but because of the way he made me feel. How come I was always so much more when I was with Albus than I was with anyone else?

Valentine's day was not the last time I visited with the Potter's and Weasley's. I was soon a firm fixture at Sunday dinners at the Weasley's house, and Thursday dinners at the Potters. How I love those dinners. With them I never felt I had to pretend to be someone I wasn't. It didn't matter beans whether or not I had had time to re-do my make-up before I arrived. No one cared whether I turned up in a scruffy T-shirt and jeans. Here I didn't mind admiting that I cried when I watched the King's speech. Or that I though Colin Firth was pretty damned attractive (despite being old enough to be my father). Here I felt at home.

Albus Severus Potter asking me to be his girlfriend was the most random event I had experienced in a long time. Partly because I had never expected that he would like me in that way, partly because of the way he asked me.

We were in Albus' potions laboratory, in the middle of discussing cauldron bottom thickness (its important when it comes to violate potions okay!) when Albus reached out and tucked a wayward strand of my blonde hair behind my ear.

I froze as Albus leaned forward, his lips by my ear.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He wishepered.

"Oi Albie!" Someone said as they shoved open the door to Albus' potions lab.

Immediately were were standing on opposite sides of the table, the cauldron (whose bottom thickness had been called into question) between us, while James Potter regarded us with a sly smile on his face.

"Louise, fancy seeing you here!" James said as he swaggered over to us.

"There is nothing even remotely odd about my being here, Albus and I work together," I said, waving my files in the air as if to thereby prove that we really had been working "you on the other hand work in the auror department, so I'm confused about your presence. But I'll leave the pair of you to it. The answer is yes Albus."

James was not to be derailed in such a fashion, so I quickly beat a fast retreat back to my office. All I can say is that I am so glad I'm not the kind of girl to blush.

Albus publicly announced our relationship that afternoon when he caught me in the ministry foyer where the great memorial fountain stands, and snogged me senseless.

In front of his father and grandfather, Arthur Weasley, who were walking past. They told their wives, and with Ginny Potter and Molly Weasley holding a piece of gossip like that, pretty soon every single Weasley, Granger-Weasley, Potter, Lupin (and a good deal of other people) knew that I and I ere in a romantically inclined relationship.

It was when Ginny spoke to me that evening that I realised just how important that yes was.

"You know Louise, I'm so glad that Albus found a girl he could look up to." Ginny said with a wide smile.

I smiled back tentatively and looked at Albus. We were about the same height. He a tad bit taller. Luckily tall enough that I could wear heels and still stand beside him without looking stupid. But that wasn't what Ginny meant obviously. Albus respected me. And with a wider smile I knew that I respected him.

Imagine my astonishment, I looked up to him, and he looked up to me. And for that, I loved him with all my heart and soul.


End file.
